Budget 2021: East of England projects get levelling up cash

Five projects across the East of England are to share £87m from the chancellor's Levelling Up Fund.

Attractions at Southend-on-Sea, a new science lab for Peterborough and 300 homes with 2,000 sq m (21,528 sq ft) of community space in Luton will get cash.

The Clophill roundabout and a community wellbeing hub in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, will also benefit.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) said the science lab will "help us deliver a fantastic learning environment".

Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough, said: "Providing the city with a first-class university will help increase opportunities, improve social mobility and provide an economic boost to the local economy."

The first phase of ARU Peterborough, which is already under construction, will be welcoming its first students in September 2022.

Meanwhile, Southend-on-Sea in Essex has been told it will receive £19.9m of levelling up cash to spend on its coastal attractions and infrastructure.

The community-run Racehorse pub in Westhall, Suffolk, will get funding from the chancellor's Community Ownership Fund.

"It means that we can go ahead with the purchase of the pub without having to apply for a mortgage," said Brenda Smith, chair of the group which runs the Racehorse.

It has been awarded £96,000 to "protect valued community assets".

The chancellor's autumn statement also includes £39m for a new mobility hub at the railway station in Norwich.

Two estates have been awarded £3.16m towards regeneration with the Heart of Greenstead regeneration project in Colchester getting £2.3m and nearly £860,000 going towards the Middlegate Estate in Great Yarmouth.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will get a share of £70m of Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding to ready 30 buses for use on five park and ride routes.

As well as these projects, the treasury said the region would benefit from a share of national programmes.

These include the Great Yarmouth Third Crossing, the A140 Long Stratton Bypass in Norfolk as well as the Lake Lothing Third Crossing in Suffolk, which will receive part of £2.6bn for local road upgrades during this Parliament.

The treasury's £24bn spending for strategic road investments will include money for the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet and six A47 dualling and upgrade schemes.

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